Casket bier



March 14, 1939. w, EV 2,150,582

CASKET BIER I Filgd Dec. 10, 1936 Patented Mar. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATEN OFFIQE Application December 10, 1936, Serial No. 115,193

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in portable casket supports or biers, and has for its primary object the provision of a casket bier employing a main body section and carrying at its opposite ends a pair of pivotally movable roller carrying sections and wherein provision is made for positively retaining the roller carrying sections in various positions of pivotal adjustment with respect to the body section in order to adapt the bier for the support of caskets ofv different sizes and also to permit the bier when not in use to have the various sections thereof compactly folded to occupy but a minimum of storage space and permit of convenience in transportation.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a casket bier constructed in accordance with the present invention, the bier being shown in its extended or active position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation disclosing the bier in its folded or collapsed position;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the locking mechanism for controlling the operative positions of the pivoted roller carrying sections of the bier;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the locking mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the several parts of the locking mechanism in spaced or separate order.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral l designates the main body section of the casket bier comprising the present invention. In this instance, the body section is formed to comprise a substantially elliptical frame 2 of metal tubing, which is braced by vertically extending longitudinally spaced bars 3, welded or otherwise secured at their ends to the frame 2. If desired, the bars may carry ornamental scroll or grill work 4, also, preferably of metal.

At its opposite ends, the frame 2 carries stattionary socket-forming brackets 5. Each of these brackets is of metallic construction and includes a centrally disposed vertical socket 8 for the reception of one of the ends of the frame 2. On each side of the central socket, the bracket is formed with parallel sockets l-l for the pivotal reception of the tubular metallic frames 8 of a pair of adjustable wing sections 9. The frames 8 are of substantially D form and are equipped at their lower ends with swiveled rollers or casters Ill. At their upper ends, the frames 8 carry re silient caps I l upon-which a casket rests when supported by the bier. A similar cap i2 is provided centrally of the body frame 2.

When the bier is in active use, as shown in Fig. 1, the diverging angularity of the wing sections with respect to the plane of the body section may be maintained as desired through the provision of an improved locking mechanism. The ends of the frames 3 where journaled in the socket 'L-l are provided with notched or gear teeth serrations it which normally engage with" of a pin or screw i9 carried by the associated bracket 5, and which serves to limit the extent of sliding movement of the bolt.

The outer end of each bolt is swiveled in connection with a hand wheel 21). Each of these wheels has an the reception of the outer threaded extremities 22 of the complemental sleeve il It will be seen that by rotating any one of the wheels 29, the same will move longitudinally back and forth on the associated sleeve ll. This longitudinal movement is used to impart corresponding movement to the bolt 15 so'that the inner serrated end thereof may be drawn out of or forced intoengagement with the complemental teeth or serrations I3 provided on the wing section frames. When the bolt is moved outwardly to disengage said teeth or serrations, the wing section carrying the bolt may swing freely'about a vertical axis in one of the sockets l, permitting the wing section to be adjusted to any desired angle. When the teeth or serrations i3 and M are engaged, however, pivotal movement on the part of the wing section affected is precluded for the reason that the brackets 5 and their associated bolts l5 are rigidly and centrally carried by the ends of the main frame 2.

The construction permits of the retention of the wing sections in various locked positions in wide arcs of swinging movement and thus adapts the bier to caskets of varying widths. When the bier is not in active use, the wing sections thereof may be folded, as disclosed in Fig. 2, to lie in parallel and closely adjacent relationship to the sides of the body section I, so that the effective length of the bier will be considerably shortened and internally threaded bore 2! for-'- the frame structure compactly arranged to facilitate transportation and handling thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a casket bier having a main body section and a wing section pivotally connected with said body section for turning movement with respect thereto, said wing section having a serrated pivotal portion, and a manually operated bolt slidably carried by said body section, said bolt having a serrated inner end formed for complemental engagement with the serrations on the pivotal portion of said wing section, Whereby when said serrations are in interfitting engagement, said wing section will be positively retained in a fixed position of adjustment with respect to said body section.

2. In a casket bier, a main frame having one end thereof provided with a laterally disposed socket, a supplemental frame pivotally mounted in said socket, a bolt movable in the direction of its longitudinal axis and slidably supported in connection with the walls of said socket, threaded means for regulating the movement of said bolt, and teeth formed upon the inner end of said bolt and adapted to be brought into and out of engagement with circumferentially spaced teeth provided on that portion of the supplemental frame disposed within said socket.

3. In a casket bier, a main frame, a bracket secured to one end of said frame and provided with a laterally disposed socket, a supplemental frame received within said socket for pivotal movement with respect to said main frame, a threaded tubular fitting carried by said bracket, a bolt slidab-ly mounted in said fitting and having its inner end serrated for engagement with circumferentially spaced serrations provided on said supplemental frame, and a manually turnable element threadedly connected with the outer end of said fitting, said element having a swiveled connection with the outer end of said bolt, whereby upon the rotation of said element, longitudinal movement will be imparted to said bolt.

4. In a casket bier having a main frame, a bracket rigidly secured to one end of said frame, said bracket being provided with a vertically extending socket and a substantially horizontally extending socket connecting therewith, a supplemental frame received within said vertically extending socket for pivotal movement relative to said main frame, .a bolt slidable longitudinally of said horizontal socket, said bolt being provided at its inner end with vertically extending serrations, and manually actuated means connected with the outer end of said bolt to move the same to cause the serrations at the inner end thereof to engage and disengage parallel serrations formed on the portion of the supplemental frame positioned in said vertical socket.

5. In a casket bier having a main body section, a bracket rigidly secured to one end of said body section, said bracket having a pair of vertically extending sockets, a wing section journaled in each of said sockets, the portion of said sections in said sockets being provided with circumferentially spaced depressions, a pair of bolts slidably positioned in a pair of horizontal sockets formed in said bracket, each of said horizontal sockets being in registration with a vertical socket, and means for moving said bolts to position the inner ends thereof in engagement with the depressions in said Wing sections.

6. In a casket bier having a main body section and a pair of Wing sections pivoted thereto at each end, means for maintaining the wing sections in their various positions of pivotal move ment comprising circumferentially spaced serrations provided in each of said wing sections, a plurality of bolts supported for sliding movement in a plane disposed at an angle to the axis of pivotal movement of said Wing sections, and manually actuated means for moving said bolts into and out of engagement with saidserrations.

'7. In a casket bier having a main frame, a bracket secured to a vertical portion of said frame, said bracket having a vertically extending socket positioned on either side of the vertical longitudinal center of said frame, a sup-' plemental frame journaled in each of said sockets, said last-mentioned frames being provided adjacent said bracket with circumferentially spaced depressions, and means carried by said brackets for movement in a plane at right angles to the axis of said sockets to engage the depressions in said frames to resist pivotal movement thereof in said sockets.

WILLIAM E. KLEVER. 

